Aria Alva ’22, Grace Bienstock ’26, Madison Ballou ’21, and Gabby Molina ’21
Oak Knoll has gone through many changes due to the current pandemic. One of these changes is the addition of many new teachers to our faculty! Although their transition into the school has proved much more challenging than normal, these teachers are excited to be a part of our ever-changing community. Several of these new teachers have shared information about themselves, as well as what their transition to Oak Knoll has been like.
Mr. Novack is the newest member of our Upper School History Department. He has always loved history and discovered his calling as a teacher from his time in the Marine Corps. He says, “I would always volunteer to lead classes and training because I really enjoyed doing it. After I earned my degree, I went on to graduate school where I realized I needed to combine my passion for history with my passion for teaching and become a history teacher.” Novack went to an all-boys Catholic high school and says, “Single-gender education allowed me to take risks that I may not have pursued in a co-educational environment.” Oak Knoll stood out to him because it allowed him to combine his love of teaching with his fond memories of Catholic education. Mr. Novack also shared that he has an 18-month baby girl, to whom he can attribute his ability to recite the entire “You’re Welcome” from Moana. The biggest obstacle Mr. Novack faces as a new teacher during this time is getting to know the faces of his students and colleagues. Although the challenges of coming to a new school during the current pandemic can be daunting, Mr. Novack expresses that “though adjusting will take a little longer than usual because of the changing environment,” he is “so happy to be here and excited to be a part of the Oak Knoll community.”
Mr. Yuhas is a new teacher in the Upper School Science Department. He has been teaching for 24 years and says that the main reason he chose to teach science is that it’s a chance to get others to enjoy it as much as he does. His favorite thing about Oak Knoll so far is the strong sense of community between the faculty and the students. Yuhas grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, which he states is his favorite place he’s ever lived in because of its location right on the water. His hobbies include working in his garden and cross country skiing. He also has a 15-year-old cat named Teqi. One fun fact about Mr. Yuhas is that he worked as a paperboy in Boston and he delivered the Boston Globe the day after the blizzard of ‘78.
Ms. Coiro is the newest addition to our Upper School Technology Department, and is excited to involve herself in the OKS community! She chose to teach computer science because she believes in the future of women in technology. Coiro understands that she’s in a male-dominated field, and this drives her to introduce young women to coding. Even if her students don’t end up becoming computer programmers or engineers, she knows that having a background in technology will help students in every career path because of the incredible problem-solving skills one develops throughout the course. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Coiro coaches field hockey, basketball, and softball at the JV/Varsity level. She has always been a huge fan of sports and enjoys watching the NY Jets regardless of their success during the season. Additionally, Ms. Coiro has a passion for drawing and coloring, and has a pet hedgehog named Quilliam, who just turned 2 years old!
Mrs. Durant is the newest edition to our Upper School Theology Department. She has been teaching for many years, in different ways. She first started out as the director of a religious education program, where she worked with everyone from kindergarteners to adults. She has always gravitated towards teaching theology, due to her time as a campus minister in college, and became involved in her parish in varying ways. It was a very natural progression for her to teach this subject, as she thoroughly enjoyed growing with her children in their faith as they went through school. While she has never taught anything but theology professionally, as a Girl Scout leader Mrs. Durant is able to teach and learn with her troop about life skills and service. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her family – a hidden blessing of the current pandemic. She also loves to travel, do puzzles, read, and do all kinds of arts of crafts. Durant also knits blankets for hospitals. She just picked up crocheting, and she joined a crochet group in her church to make blankets for cancer patients! Interestingly, Mrs. Durant is also a fan of heavy metal music. She initially started listening to metal to connect with her son, a drummer, and has become a fan of Alice Cooper; she even learned to play a song on the drums! Mrs. Durant is so excited to be a part of the Oak Knoll community and looks forward to getting to see everyone’s smiling faces and sharing in important traditions with all of us.
Editor’s Note: The newest additions to the Upper School World Language Department, Ms. Burmeister, Mrs. Hermeline, and Mrs. Reinhardt, were not available for interviews, but we hope to feature them in an upcoming issue!